The Argosy — page 295: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

274 Sandstone Torr. i searching out. Only yesterday morning when I was waiting at Duff- ham’s while he mixed up the stuff, he must begin upon it. ‘Did ye hear the cries last night?’ says he—or something o’ that. ‘ No,’ says I in answer ; ‘ there was none to hear, only the wind.’ Them two young gents from the Manor was there, cocking up their ears at the words. 7 see ’em.” : Rebecca Radcliffe remained silent. Truth to tell, she and Stephen were getting afraid of the cries themselves. That is, of what the cries might result in. ‘He ought to be got away,” resumed Eunice. ‘‘ But there’s no means o’ getting him away.” “Well, I can’t feel comfortable, Becca; not safe, you know. So don’t you and the master be put out if I walks myself off one o’ these here first fine days. When I come here, I didn’t bargain for nothing o’ this sort.” ‘“‘'There’s no danger of ill turning up,” flashed Becca, braving out the matter with scorn. ‘‘The cries is took to come from the birds: who is to pick up any other notion, d’ye suppose? I'll tell ye what it is, Eunice: that jaundiced liver of yours is tormenting you. You'll be afeared next of your own shadda.” “Perhaps it is,” acknowledged Eunice, dropping the argument and resuming her rubbing. “I know that precious physic of old Duffham’s is upsetting me. It’s the nausiousest stuff I ever took.” | Mrs. Stephen stalked out of the kitchen and betook herself across the fields, towards her brother’s. Richard Gibbon had succeeded to his late father’s post of gamekeeper to the Chavasses. The game- keeper’s lodge was more than a mile away; and Mrs. Stephen strode off, out of sight, unconscious of what was in store for the Torr. Eunice went on with her washing, deep in thought. She had fully made up her mind to quit the Torr; but she meant to break the fact by degrees to its master and mistress. Drying her hands forthe tem- | porary purpose of stirring-up and putting more slack on the furnace _ fire, she was interrupted by a gentle ring at the front door bell. ‘‘Why, who on earth’s that?” she exclaimed aloud. “Oh, it must be Lizzy,” with a flush of recollection : “she sent word she should be over to-day or to-morrow. How early she have got here!” Free of all suspicion, glancing at no ill, Eunice went through the passages and opened the front door. Quite a small crowd of people stood there, and one or two of them pushed in immediately. Mr. Duffham, Tod, I, the Squire, old Jones, and old Jones’s man, who was young, and active on his legs. The Squire wou/d come, and we were unable to hinder him. ‘In the Queen’s name!” cried old Jones—who always used that formula on state occasions. And Eunice Gibbon screamed long and loud. Gomicbooks.co ~ -